Too Late to Apologize
by JackPotr
Summary: Harry reacts to Hermione's treatment during sixth year. With his anchor gone, Harry searches for something else. No bashing...well not really.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own it. If I did, I'd have a lot more time to write!

AN: Hey everyone. I know….you haven't heard from me in a while. I'm still here and kicking. Out little world here has been hit hard this last year with the loss of Broomstick Flyer and the Master SGT. I feel this place is quite a bit diminished by their losses and like I have lost some friends. While I've never met my fellow writers, I do think of them as friends through their writings.

Anyway…I've got a laptop full of ideas to work with and that's what I'm going to try to do. I'm probably pretty rusty (not that I was that good to start with) after my hiatus so bear with me. I will be getting back to things I left unfinished soon. Hopefully, you'll enjoy this little one I'm throwing out.

Too Late for Sorry

It was late November of Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and at the moment; Harry Potter was out wandering the halls alone. The students that witnessed this were still getting used to the new reality because in the past, he would always be accompanied by one of his best friends. To everyone in the school, they were known as the Golden Trio based on their rumored adventures and how close they were. There were many who were jealous of the trio but there were also an equal number who thought that the recognition they received was probably well deserved and probably were down played if some of the rumors of their exploits were to be believed.

This year had seen a distinct change in the trio. There were rough spots in the past where the trio was on the outs but now it seemed as if the relationship they shared was in the process of imploding. The female member of the trio seemed to almost hate Harry which many had thought impossible. The other member of the trio was also being met with scorn but at the normal rate shared between them. For the first time since their first year, there was a wall going up between Harry and Hermione. The division between the two was welcomed by the other girls in the castle because it now meant that Harry was finally available after they were kept away due to the rumors of them dating in secret for the last couple of years.

Many who passed him as he walked alone throughout the school couldn't blame Harry for seeking solitude away from the Gryffindor common room. The whole school witnessed at one point or another Hermione's new attitude towards Harry as they had heard the condescending and even hateful tone that she used often when speaking to him ever since the first day of classes. It was a testament to his character that he just took the verbal abuse she heaped upon him without saying a word.

The other member of the trio was not doing anything other than ignoring the other two. It was something that should have been expected as he finally found a girlfriend but the only person to take offense to it was Hermione. This surprised many in the castle as it looked as if Granger was actually jealous of Ron having a girlfriend and many were confused by the whole situation as they believed that she and Harry were a couple.

Despite her hateful attitude, they watched as Harry continued to be there for Hermione no matter what she said and did to him. If there was one thing that was obvious, it was that Harry Potter was in love with Hermione Granger and wished they could find someone that would treat them as Harry did. It was just another trait that made him more desirable. For the longest time, most of the castle's occupants thought that the feelings went both ways and that it was only a matter of time before the two publically became a couple. If anything, the recent interaction had everyone confused.

Besides her intimidating intelligence, Hermione Granger was also seen as the biggest obstacle in getting close to Harry as proven by Cho Chang the previous year. There were some who dared but they usually backed off in the presence of Hermione. It was obvious she had staked her claim in first year and they were now confused by her not acting on it.

**HP**

Harry was out in the halls instead of the common room because he was trying to clear the headache that had formed as Hermione ranted at him yet again over the potions book and whatever else she could find fault with. It was just one of many rants and he didn't understand why she kept on. He followed the notes in the book and it had been brilliant and even offered to share them with his best friends but she took offense. It wasn't like they had never used notes in books before and he did offer to share. He finally decided there must be something more going on than the book issue and his thoughts turned in that direction.

He thought about the DOM fiasco from last year and how he got them hurt. He was sure that was a part of it but the fact that he confided in Ron and Hermione on the train ride home about the Prophecy made him stop on that point. He realized that it was the piece of information that was missing to his puzzle as things began to cool between them at that point. The summer turned out to be not much better than the last but at least he heard from Ron every week while Hermione never wrote him once. He wondered if the Headmaster told them not to write him again and Ron just ignored him. If that was the case, then it did not say much for her friendship at this point.

His thoughts then turned to the ranting he'd just endured. She dug deep and pulled things he did in the past to use against him. Every mistake and error of judgment was thrown in his face. She called into question his intelligence and told him that she didn't know who he was anymore since he had to lie and cheat to make himself look better. At that moment of the rant, he had flashbacks to his fourth year and the Goblet of Fire and the pain she just inflicted caused him to flee the onslaught. He finally came to the conclusion that Hermione no longer wanted him as a friend despite all the crying she did over Ron on his shoulder. He wasn't completely sure of the reasons but had a pretty good idea that she was afraid the adventures would finally catch up to them since someone close to him had died both of the last two years.

His thoughts finally turned to what he should do about this whole situation. After a few more minutes of weighing his options, he let out a sigh and stopped. It was like he had been agonizing over a decision and now that his mind was made up, his shoulders straightened and he turned back to the common room satisfied with his solution to the problem. He hurried along as he had a detention with Snape in about an hour and wanted to get everything ready before the appointed time.

When he arrived in the common room, he saw Ron in the corner with Lavender and grinned. He was happy for his friend and envious. The reasons for both were the same. Ron could do something he could not. He could live a normal life without the threat of this prophecy and Voldemort hanging over his head. Harry shook himself out of his thoughts and moved towards the stairs but before he could get there, Hermione was blocking his path. He turned and gave her a smile before it faded away due to the expression on her face.

What followed next was a fifteen minute rant where she once again pointed out every mistake and quality flaw that she saw in Harry. The common room quickly started emptying as the young witch made her very vocal points. Everyone felt sorry for Harry as he just stood there and took it. It was a red faced Harry who turned to look to his other best friend for backup but soon noticed that he and Lavender had left as well. It hurt that Ron hadn't tried to help but he really couldn't blame him as Hermione had a full head of steam going. When he decided that had heard enough, he held up his hand and cut Hermione off in mid rant. If anyone else had still been in the common room, they would have been amazed at the power he showed which had her sputtering. "I have heard quite enough Miss Granger."

He looked at her stunned face for a minute before he walked up the stairs. When he got to his bed, he sat down heavily. The decisions he had made and the berating he just took from Hermione were enough to not only steel his resolve but to move up the timetable. He stood and went to his trunk where he picked up a bottomless and weightless bag that Sirius had given him. He began to go through his trunk and pull out his text books and anything he thought he would need. When he was done with that task, he went to his nightstand and started pulling out other things. The map, the cloak, and the photo album were quickly placed inside as well. He looked at the clock and saw that his time was running out so he made his way to the bathroom and collected his toiletries. When he was satisfied that he had everything he needed, he took a good look around at the room he had shared with the guys for the last five years and smiled as he thought about the good times they had. It was then he realized he had one last task to perform and he went to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment.

 _Hey Ron,_

 _I don't really know what I should say but I guess it all boils down to this. Thanks for being my friend. Don't worry about running off with Lav just now…I would have done the same thing in your place and have if you remember. Run off when Hermione started ranting that is._

 _We've talked about it so many times in the last few months but it has become too much. The Prophecy, Tom, the Headmaster, and everyone else all want me to do something that you and I both know I'm not ready for. We have been very lucky in most of our adventures but I'm not so arrogant to believe that it was any real skill on our part. In fact, most of our successes have been a whole lot of stupidity blended with some obscure (You liked that word didn't you? Granger would be amazed that we know words like that) spell that Hermione pulled out of that massive brain of hers._

 _Anyway, I've come up with a plan and intend to see it through. When I complete it, I think I will be much better prepared for what lies ahead._

 _I've also came to some realizations. The first is that without me around, you and Hermione can start to live normal lives again. Seeing you with Lav makes me envious of you but also proves to me that this is the right thing to do. You may not agree with me but you both would have been put through a lot less if it wasn't for me._

 _I need a favor from you; I need you to take over the Quidditch team in my absence. I know your eyes just got big at that but the truth is…this is goodbye for now. I know I'm rambling but how do you really say goodbye to someone you think of as a brother? Well, I'm not going to say it because I believe we will meet up again one day._

 _I do have one more request of you. Please tell Hermione goodbye for me. I would do it myself but well…she's not exactly someone I can talk to at the moment._

 _Your Brother,_

 _Harry_

Harry read over the letter one more time and while it wasn't the best, he knew it would be good enough. He took out an envelope and folded and placed the letter inside. After writing Ron's name on it, he stepped over and slid it under Ron's pillow. He took another look around and then made his way to the rack on the wall which held their brooms. He lifted his Firebolt and then opened his bag. It caused a smile to form on his face when he still found magic amazing as the bag quickly swallowed his broom. In his last act before he left, reached up and pulled a necklace off and stuck it under his pillow.

Before he knew it, he was heading down the stairs and across the common room. Hermione looked up from the paper she was working on as he walked right past her without saying a word. When the portrait closed behind him, she looked on in shock at the way he acted. She felt something in her chest that was pushing her to jump up and run after him but her anger overrode it. She still wasn't sure where all this anger came from but she felt she needed to keep tighter reins on him this year so that a repeat of last wouldn't happen again.

**HP**

After a while, the common room began to fill again as they saw that the danger was over and Hermione was back to being engrossed in her studies. Hermione actually found the buzz of the conversations going on around her comforting as she studied and only looked up when the room went quiet.

As her eyes caught the cause of the silence, she paid attention as it was rare that the professors intruded into the students' living space unless there was a problem or a meeting. With Professor Snape standing behind Professor McGonagall, she knew this wasn't a house meeting which meant something was wrong. As always, her eyes scanned the room for the normal source of trouble and only found Ron sitting there with no sign of Harry.

As soon as Professor McGonagall saw her, she made her way over to the table she was working at. "Miss Granger, have you seen Mr. Potter?"

Hermione looked at the clock. "No ma'am, he went out the portrait door over an hour ago. I assumed it was to go to his detention."

Snape stepped up. "Are you aware of the meaning of assume, Miss Granger?"

She looked at him. "I know the definition."

He smirked. "Definition and meaning are not always the same. In this case, the word you used takes on its true meaning of 'making an ass out of you and me. Mr. Potter may have left for his detention as you assume but I can assure you he never showed up."

She bristled at the comment and looked to her Head of House who remained impassive. "All I can tell you is that he left the common room but I do not know where he went after he left."

Snape smiled and started looking around. When Hermione looked at him questionably, he smirked. "Sorry Miss Granger, I was looking around for something dreadful to happen. I'm shocked that there is something you do not know, especially when it comes to Mr. Potter and his business."

Minerva gave him a glare as Hermione blushed. "No Sir, Harry and I are not on the best of terms right now and he isn't really speaking to me."

Minerva turned and started looking around the room until she found who she was looking for. "Mr. Weasley, do you know where Mr. Potter might have gone?"

"No ma'am. I've been busy and haven't had time to talk to him tonight."

Snape growled out. "Well, why don't you pull yourself away from Miss Brown long enough to go check your room?"

He looked to Minerva who nodded and Ron jumped up and ran up the stairs. Once he entered the room, he saw no sign of Harry and sat down on his bed to think. It was then he had a thought and moved to his nightstand to retrieve the map. At the least, he could point the Professors in the right direction so that he could get back to what he was doing with Lavender. As he reached into the hiding place, he found the map missing along with several other things Harry kept hidden. It was his first indication that something was wrong and he moved to Harry's trunk. Once he opened it, he saw that all of Harry's books were gone as well as some of his better clothes. He was starting to go from concerned to panic when he noticed the brand new bag given to him by Sirius last year was also missing.

He grew nervous because he didn't want to go downstairs and tell the professors anything so he went and splashed water on his face. Once he had dried himself, he looked over and noticed Harry's toiletry shelf was empty. The feeling that had been growing in the pit of his stomach clinched tightly. He was pretty sure what had happened as they had discussed this possibility before but it hurt that Harry didn't come to him first. He then started berating himself for not being there to talk to Harry today. He had seen the pressure his friend was under and should have done something but he was too entranced by Lavender's many charms and assets. When he felt a little more normal, he stepped out into their room and his eyes fell on the broom rack Harry had bought for them. When he saw the Firebolt missing, he fell to his knees as his dinner exploded all over the floor and tears fell from his eyes.

He was found in this position several minutes later when the professors became impatient and sent Neville up to find out what was taking so long. Ron managed to get the story out between heaves and it was a reluctant Neville who went back down the stairs. As soon as he hit the common room floor, he was met with a condescending tone. "Is Mr. Weasley so thick that he cannot even remember what he was sent up for?"

Neville looked at Snape for a minute before turning to Minerva. "Ma'am, you might want to send for Madam Pomfrey. Ron…he's thrown up all over the floor in our room."

"He was fine a few minutes ago and what about Mr. Potter?"

"That's why Ron is sick ma'am. Harry…he's…gone."

She gasped out. "What do you mean gone?"

"Ron and Harry, well you know how close they are. I wasn't trying to listen in but I heard them talking late at night. Everything that was happening has been pushing Harry closer to the edge and he has been talking about leaving ever since we came back to school. Ron was the only one who kept him here."

"But why now?"

Neville glanced at Hermione with a hardness she had never seen in the boy before. "I guess that something or _someone_ pushed him over the edge tonight. If you'll excuse me, I'll go see about taking care of Ron and getting him cleaned up."

He turned and walked back up the stairs. Minerva watched for a minute before she looked over her charges. "Does anyone know what was so special about tonight that caused Mr. Potter to walk out?"

Minerva noticed a lot of eyes glaring at Hermione. Seamus finally said "Why don't you ask Granger? She's been the one tearing strips out of his arse all day." With a final glare at Hermione, Seamus and Dean walked up the stairs and disappeared into their room.

Hermione sat there in shock. Had she really been that bad to Harry? Her mind ran back through today and then started going backwards for the term and her conversations with Harry. She let out a loud sob and jumped out of her chair with wild eyes. Minerva saw the panic in them just before Hermione ran up the stairs towards the boys' dorm.

Minerva turned to Severus. "Perhaps you should go alert the Headmaster while I deal with things here."

Snape didn't make a sarcastic comment as she expected. "I think you are right."

Minerva let out a sigh and moved up the stairs. Hermione was at the door and staring at Harry's bed. She felt drawn to it and was unnerved by the implications. She moved woodenly towards it just as Minerva reached the door. She looked around and saw that the boys had taken care of things and were helping Ron to his bed. All eyes turned to Hermione as she went to the bed and slowly reached under the pillow. When she withdrew her hand, she was holding a Celtic knot on a leather strip. Hermione pulled it close to her chest and broke down completely as she fell onto Harry's bed and curled into a ball.

The boys all looked at Minerva with fear in their eyes at seeing a crying girl. She gave them a half smile. "I appreciate the good job you boys did here. If you will continue to watch over Mr. Weasley, I will return Miss Granger to her own bed and tend to her."

They breathed a sigh of relief as she levitated the distraught Hermione out of the room. Neville pulled up a chair and placed his hand on Ron's arm as he lay there staring at the ceiling. It was a few minutes before he moved and when he did, he made a face like something was bothering him. He lifted himself up and reached under his pillow. When his hand came out, he was holding a letter.

He hurriedly opened it and started reading. Neville watched as he nodded and then gave a brief smile. The next emotion Neville saw was surprise and then something they had never seen before until tonight. A tear started making its way down his cheek and he laid his head back.

Neville asked. "You okay?"

Ron rubbed his face. "Yeah…well I will be. I knew this was coming but I didn't expect it this soon. I thought I could keep him grounded a little bit longer but…well…it's my fault…I haven't been spending any time with him lately. He's been so different since the night Sirius died. It was my job as his friend to make sure he was okay."

Dean came over and sat down. "I saw Harry tonight and he was happy for you. He always did wish he could be normal like everyone else. Do you think he'll be okay?"

Ron sighed. "Harry has an advantage over most of our world. Like you, he knows the muggle world and can blend in with it easily."

Dean nodded. Seamus said "Yeah that makes his movements harder to track but what about this world. I can do that as well."

Ron nodded. "Yeah but he has one advantage you don't."

Seamus sat there for a minute before he said. "You're right. He's a Potter. He has the money to do whatever he wants."

Everyone looked at Ron expecting him to tense up. "Don't worry…one of our talks…he made me see things from his point of view. He told me that I was a lot richer than him because I could always go home to my family. It was something he wanted more than anything and that all the gold in Gringotts couldn't buy what I had."

Ron looked at Neville and handed him the letter. "Would you go tell Lavender I'm okay and will see her at breakfast? You might want to have her give this to Professor McGonagall but tell her I want it back."

Neville patted his shoulder. "Sure…you gonna be okay?"

"Yeah…I'm better now. Harry's letter helped. I'm glad he wasn't upset with me."

Seamus said. "We'll see him again. He's like a bad Knut, he always turns back up."

Ron smiled and then hit Seamus with a pillow. "Don't talk about my best mate that way."

Dean sat on Harry's bed. "What are you going to do about the other one?"

Ron's eyes dropped. "I really don't know. In a way, I'm kinda mad at her for pushing Harry so hard and in a way; I'm kinda glad she did." He looked up at them. "Don't make sense does it?"

"So do we shut her out?"

Ron said. "NO! We help her and we try to move on unless you want Harry to come back here and kick all our asses."

After that, Ron lay back in his bed and rolled towards the wall. Dean and Seamus moved away so that he could deal with Harry's leaving in his own way.

**HP**

In the sixth year girls' dorm, Minerva placed Hermione on her bed and was sitting beside her rubbing circles on her back. When Hermione calmed down enough to talk, Minerva asked. "What's that you're holding onto for dear life?"

She sniffed. "I gave it to Harry in our fourth year. It was the first Hogsmeade weekend after the Goblet and it was only me and him. We walked around for a bit and wandered into one of the shops. The lady had a whole assortment of Celtic jewelry and it caught his interest. Before I knew it, he grabbed up one I particularly liked and took it to the counter. In the meantime, I found one that had a lot of meaning for me from what I learned in Runes and took it up as well. As we were paying, the lady said we could tie the pendants to the person who meant the most to us. It was a way of always having that person with us. All it took was a drop of blood and it was done. Once we paid, he put the one on me that he had bought and I did the same. We promised each other that day that we would always be there for each other and would never take them off. As far as I know, this is the first time he has ever taken it off."

She reached into her robes and pulled out the one she wore for Minerva to see. It was a Celtic Triquetra with an emerald within the circle of the knot. "He knew the standard meaning of the knot but I told him there was an alternative meaning and said it was a symbol of respect, love, and protection. I also told him that the circle represented eternity." She broke down in tears again and it was a while before she settled down. She finally got out what was making her so sad. "Harry would have only taken it off if he thought I no longer wanted to be his friend. Harry took things very literally and for him to remove this means that he felt that I no longer cared."

"Why? You two have always been so close."

It was then that Hermione began her confession that began at the end of last year and her decisions and actions ever since. Minerva felt sorry for the girl as she let her wonderful mind control the one thing that made her so special in Harry's eyes… her heart. The way Hermione had ignored him, berated him, and insulted him was so shocking to Minerva that she sat there in silence at all the girl did to drive Harry away. If anything, this would be a very real example to Hermione of being careful what you wish for.

She was at a loss what to do and was thankfully saved by Lavender bringing the letter to her. After reading it, she cast a disappointed glance at Hermione before rising saying she needed to get the letter to the Headmaster. As she left the room, she charged Lavender with making sure Hermione was watched over.

As soon as Lavender stepped out for a minute, Hermione softly said "Dobby?"

She heard a pop and looked up to see a teary eyed Dobby standing in front of her. "Do you know where Harry is?"

An indignant looking Dobby stared back at her. "Why should Miz Bushy care now? Miz Bushy has left Master Harry alone all summer and then yous made him feel bad ever since he comes back to Hoggywarts."

She sniffed, "I know Dobby but I can't tell him how sorry I am if I can't talk to him."

Dobby glared at her. "Master Harry not wanting to be talking to you. Master Harry says enough is enough and has left because Master is tired of being poodooed on."

She wailed. "I need to tell him I'm sorry."

"Dobby cannot help Miss. Goodbye." With a pop, she was alone again and sobbing uncontrollably. She kept at it for another hour until she finally cried herself to sleep. Her room mates were never far away but weren't especially willing to spend any time with her after what she had done. Once she was asleep, they crept into the room and got ready for bed making sure they didn't wake her up.

**HP**

Despite the best efforts of the Order of the Phoenix and numerous others, Harry Potter disappeared as if he never existed. The only news anyone had of him was when he appeared in Gringotts the next day and withdrew everything from his trust vault. The only other thing they heard about that visit was that the account manager for the Potter family pulled him into a conference room for an hour. When he left the meeting, he went straight to a teller and had all his gold converted to pounds and then left the bank.

Dumbledore wasn't able to assemble the Order in time and give them assignments so they missed Harry at Gringotts by an hour. From that point on, anyone looking for Harry Potter was chasing ghosts as any reports that came in for the next year was mere speculation and guesswork.

When the Order met back up after a long day of searching, all of the information they gathered was given to the group as a whole. It was then that Remus informed them that Harry's trust vault also held a chunk of the Black family fortune since Sirius left it to Harry in his will. It was quite clear that Harry now had the resources to disappear for as long as he liked. He also said that in Sirius' attempts to keep the Black family assets out of the hands of his _beloved_ family, his will passed the remaining titles, money, and properties to the vaults of the House of Potter after leaving some for him, Dora, and her mother.

**HP**

The holidays were very subdued for most of Harry's friends. The only one who wasn't completely depressed was Ron. When asked about it, he would only say that while he missed his best mate, Harry told him long ago that if he left, follow the guideline that no news was good news. No news meant his plans were running their course and he hadn't been found yet. It wasn't much but it gave Ron hope as he was the only one who knew that Harry wasn't gone so much as off training and he could live with that.

Hermione went home for the holidays but not by the train as Minerva personally took her to her parents' home by portkey. Her depression was so great that Minerva wouldn't risk sending her on the train where she would be vulnerable to the taunts of others as she had been at school. When she returned for the second term, she was a little better but not by much. That term was a pale comparison of the first five and a half years of her education. Hermione would do her work but it was with less enthusiasm than ever before and her normal earning of massive amounts of points due to her preparation for class dwindled down dramatically. By the end of the year, her grades and emotional state had removed her from the running for Head Girl for her seventh year.

The end of that year also saw one of Harry's warnings come true. Without Harry there, Draco Malfoy was allowed to work unmolested and as an end of the year treat, Voldemort snuck some of his forces into the castle to cause some mayhem. In an act that had the whole castle reeling from betrayal, Albus Dumbledore was killed in a joint effort of Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape.

**HP**

Dumbledore's death was the beginning of the end for the light side. Without Harry there to oppose him, the entire magical world of Great Britain was under Voldemort's control including Hogwarts within a year. The Order of the Phoenix became a hunted group of people and soon Voldemort turned his attention to their headquarters. The Fidelis charm was simple to bypass when Severus told him to look between number 11 and number 13 Grimmauld Place and it wasn't long before Voldemort had every curse and ward breaker in his service banging on the formidable wards surrounding the former home of the Blacks.

Tom could have ordered the whole block to be set on fire therefore destroying the house in the process and it probably would have been the more prudent and expedient method to end the threat of the remaining order members. As it was, Tom's arrogance was at an all time high and he would have nothing less than the remaining members of the Order kneeling at his feet in supplication.

Voldemort was single minded in a lot of things and would not begin his move to take over the muggle world until he had the magical one totally subjugated. Despite the high he was riding due to his success, the small failures weighed him down as several old light sided families managed to escape his reach.

He received reports that the two Longbottoms in St. Mungos had disappeared along with Neville and his grandmother and threw a fit because he wanted to personally end the Longbottom lone for their defiance. A week later, several of his followers lost their lives when it was reported that the Bones and Abbott families escaped to America where they were out of his reach until his recruiting efforts had some success over there. He was further plagued when many of the muggleborn witches and wizards just disappeared. Their houses were visited by his forces only to find them empty. Even Potter's former girlfriend and her parents had disappeared.

These failures drove him like never before and wasted three months as that was how long it took before the ancestral home of the Blacks fell. The members of the Black family were punished often due to the wards that remained strong despite his best efforts. They speculated that the only way for the wards to be still standing was if there was still a Head of the House of Black. The Malfoys long maintained that Draco would inherit the title and realized their mistake a minute too late as Draco fell to the AK. Narcissa fell an hour later when the wards still stood strong.

It was true that the House of Black still had a head but that knowledge was only known to the Goblins and the head of the house himself. Fortunately, Gringotts refused to comment on the matter even though they knew it would eventually draw Voldemort's attention to them. They welcomed the challenge as they had pulled enough Goblins from around the world to have an army of five thousand waiting in the catacombs of the bank until they were needed. If there was one thing Gringotts knew it was wards and the added numbers only strengthened the wards over the bank. Voldemort would find the bank a bigger death trap than the one he was experiencing at the House of Black when he attacked.

Grimmauld Place finally fell three months after it was attacked. The witches and wizards they dragged out of the house were exhausted and worn. Their success at holding out as long as they did was due to Bill Weasley and his vast knowledge of warding thanks to the Goblins. He used a method they taught him and tied the magical cores of everyone in the house to the wards making them that much stronger. It was a week after they exhausted their food that the wards finally fell. A procession of Death Eaters surrounding the last of the Order was led into the atrium of the Ministry for all to see the elimination of the last light wizards in England.

They were lined up and forced to their knees where they remained for an hour before Voldemort decided to come and gloat. The faces he saw made him happier than he had been in a long time. He walked down the line and pulled up their chins one at a time. Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, Lavender Brown, Ginevra Weasley, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley, Fleur Weasley, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Molly Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinet, Katie Bell, Filius Flitwick, Minerva McGonagall, Remus Lupin, and Nymphadora Tonks. He said each name as he looked them in the eye.

He hissed. "Each of you could have joined me but instead, you chose to defy me. I hate wasting magical blood but you have left me no choice. You have given others help and hope which allowed some to outrun my reach and for that you will pay. Tell me, what became of the Lovegood girl. I so much wanted to find her so that I could all but eliminate the fabled Ministry Six?"

The ever defiant Ginny said "She and her father escaped with the Longbottoms despite your best efforts."

Voldemort smacked her across the face for her defiance bloodying her lip. He then turned to Hermione. "And you girl, where are your parents? I so want to end your line once and for all."

"They left the country like I asked them to."

He looked her in the eye again. "No, I don't think so. They are much like you and are too stubborn to leave. No matter, I'll find them eventually and will take great pleasure in killing them myself for daring to produce an insolent child such as you."

He stepped away to decide how he wanted to eliminate them as a threat. But like everything else, his mind was locked onto his total victory and he wanted to savor the moment and enjoy the fear that showed in their eyes.

As all this was going on, the floo activated and a man in Unspeakable robes stepped out. He took a quick look around and then moved forward. For the common witch or wizard, the Unspeakables were just as frightening as the Death Eaters. Everyone moved out of his way, including the Death Eaters but not one made a move to stop him for they knew if he wore those robes, then he was far more dangerous than they would ever be.

The Unspeakables accounted for the majority of the Death Eater losses in this and the last war but no one knew that. When they went into battle, they took off their robes and used polyjuice to hide their identities and their involvement wouldn't lead back to their organization. They took pleasure in the fact that at the same time they were killing his forces, Voldemort was trying to entice them to join his side.

The man who walked into the atrium was a union of both worlds as each had their hand in his training. If meeting up with an Unspeakable was enough to give someone bad dreams, this man was their worst nightmare and a product of a new anti-terrorist unit created by Her Majesty's government. It was this very man who convinced the non-magical government of the necessity of such a unit as it would operate in both magical and non-magical worlds. This unit was the first SAS/Unspeakable unit in the world and was already credited with a dozen successful anti-terrorist missions between both worlds even though it had only been fully activated less than two months.

As the Unspeakable approached Voldemort, Tom took in the amount of pips denoting rank on his robes and knew he was dealing with a man in authority. He was confused by the strange patch he wore over his breast as he had never seen it before but that was a far as his gaze went. His eyes never noticed the muggle combat boots and pants that were sticking out beneath the robes.

In a rare show of respect, Voldemort gave him a small nod. Voldemort could almost feel the smirk underneath the hood as the Unspeakable did not return the show of respect and just crossed his arms. Tom's reaction was swift and confirmed why Voldemort was a wizard to be feared. In the blink of an eye, Voldemort's wand was up and an emerald green beam of light flashed out and struck the Unspeakable in the chest. The magical backlash took everyone off their feet and when they stood back up, the Unspeakable was standing over Voldemort as he looked up in shock.

"How?"

The Unspeakable chuckled. "Some people are immune to your pathetic little curse."

"Impossible!"

The Unspeakable reached into his robe and pulled out a bag. He then gave a snort and threw the bag at Tom. Tom was still looking at him strangely when the Unspeakable motioned for him to look inside. Tom glanced down at the bag and then opened it. When he looked, his eyes grew wide as he saw what was inside. When he looked back up, the Unspeakable was reaching in his robes once again. When he pulled his arm back out, Tom was facing a Glock 20 and before he could even blink, the Unspeakable squeezed the trigger twice. The 10 mm bullets tore through the spot between Tom's eyes and left a large splatter on the ground behind him.

The members of the Order were amazed by the speed shown by the Unspeakable. Ron looked wide eyed at the reflexes of the man as he turned before Bella and Lucius could react and placed bullets between their eyes as well. The bodies of the two Death Eaters were on the floor before the echoes of the gunshots abated in the Ministry atrium. In the next moment, a wand ejected into his hand and without a word, Severus Snape's wand was taken from his hand as he stood gaping at the two bodies lying on either side of him. The Unspeakable stepped up to the greasy haired man and went face to face with him. He allowed a momentary glimpse behind his hood and Snape's eyes went wide.

The Unspeakable moved incredibly fast and in another blur of movement, a K-Bar combat knife flashed and ripped the former potions master from grin to groin. Snape looked stunned for a half a second before he joined his comrades on the floor. As the Unspeakable loomed over him, he just shook his head. "You're not worth the cost of the bullet."

While a normal knife would not be able to cut through a body that easily, Harry prided himself on its creation after watching the movie called Blade. With the aid of runes and a Goblin craftsman, the knife's edge had a permanent cutting charm attached to it that was activated by Harry's magic as soon as Harry grabbed the hilt. Harry often found his superiors' reactions humorous when they realized that he had his own Q Branch who had created all kinds of nasty toys for his team to play with.

With the remaining Death Eater's attention on the scene in front of them, they never noticed the rest the strike team moving up behind them. Bullets, knives, and well placed punches or kicks were the weapons of the day as the Death Eaters began dropping to the floor. The terrorist group was decimated to a man before the Order members and spectators saw the blacked-out Special Forces men standing over the bodies that lay on the floor with growing puddles of blood spreading out around them. Their MP5s were held at the ready in case anyone else decided to do anything.

The leader stepped back over to Voldemort and placed several kicks between his legs. When Tom didn't even flinch, he nodded to himself and then waved his hand over the four bodies he had just eliminated. As the bodies rose into the air, the leader began walking towards the stairwell that led down to the Department of Mysteries. The only people to watch the next event were the Unspeakables assigned to defend the department. They were also the witnesses to Tom and his top three lieutenants being passed though the Veil. After a nod to his fellows, the leader climbed the stairs to the atrium and made his way towards the exit as everyone watched. The Special Forces men used his distraction to melt back and disappear into the shadows as if they were never even there.

The Unspeakable passed near Ron and waggled his fingers. Ron looked at him confused until he saw a flash of light and felt something in his hand as well as his bindings release. Ron tentatively brought his hand up and saw a golden snitch there as the Unspeakable walked towards the floo. When Ron's eyes saw what was in his hand, he quickly looked to the floo just in time for the Unspeakable to remove his hood and cloak. Once it had dropped to the floor, they were several gasps as they saw a raven-haired man with glowing green eyes. He gave Ron a smile as he caught his eyes before whispering a destination and stepping into the fireplace and disappearing.

The shock of who they had just seen left them stunned and before they could react, the floos started activating again and Madam Bones along with quite a few of the Aurors who had been driven into hiding stepped out.

Tonks stepped forward. "Madam Bones, you're a sight for sore eyes."

"It's good to see you too Auror Tonks."

"What brought you back now? You just missed the show."

"Yes, well Her Majesty assigned me to put things back together. If you are ready to resume your duties Auror, we have a lot of work to do."

She looked over at the Order members and stopped on Arthur. "It is good to see you as well as you are Arthur. I hope you are ready to work because you just volunteered to be my Undersecretary."

Arthur started to protest but she waved off his statement. "I know you all have gone through a rough time so how about you all go home, eat, and get some rest and then return tomorrow. We could really use all of your help in restoring our world."

Tonks and Arthur remained to speak with Madam Bones while the others left to return to Grimmauld Place. The only person to linger for a moment was Hermione as she went over and picked up the dropped cloak and hugged it close to her as she left. Tonks finally asked. "Madam Bones, was that really Harry Potter?"

Amelia turned to her. "Yes it was but now he is known as Agent Potter of MI-5 of Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Tonks hopefully asked. "He would be a big help in doing this."

Amelia sighed. "Yes he would but the magical world is not filled with the most pleasant memories for him. He was only here today under orders."

Arthur nodded his head understanding more of Harry's mindset from his long talks with Ron. "But he just came back and killed Voldemort to save us all…again."

Amelia nodded. "Yes he did but it wasn't because of some prophecy or loyalty to the magical world. He did it because Voldemort was a threat to the security of Great Britain which he has sworn to defend. As we were preparing for this day, I got to talk with Harry and as far as he is concerned, the only tie he has to this world is your son Ron. He couldn't care less about anyone else since they never showed any care for him."

That news rocked Arthur back as he felt he and his wife always did the best for the young man but evidently Harry felt differently. It may be a question he needed to ask his son about in the near future. In the meantime, he was looking forward to rebuilding the Ministry and try to do for others what he had obviously failed to do for Harry. His only hope was that he gets a chance to talk with Harry after all this time if only to inquire about a young man he thought of as an adopted son.


	2. Chapter 2

The Order members who called Grimmauld Place home for the last two years slowly left the atrium of the Ministry and made their way back home. Molly and Remus made a stop at the grocery to resupply their depleted food stores. Once they were back, she set about cooking a meal for the residents.

Once they finished eating, they spent the next couple of hours trying to put the house back in some semblance of order. Before long, the shower was running non-stop as each cleaned themselves up and then exhaustedly crawled into their beds.

Hermione and Ginny were still sharing a room as they had for so many years. At first, Hermione's friendship with everyone was quite strained but it eventually died down once Ron informed them that Harry was going to leave one way or another. All she did was speed up the timetable.

Both young ladies lay in their beds and stared at the ceiling. Even though they were exhausted from the strain of the last two years and the death sentence they faced that morning, sleep could not claim either one. Both had been in that position before when the green-eyed hero swept in and saved them when they were younger and seeing Harry again stirred up many memories for both the young ladies. For Ginny, she was happy to see her friend again. In the weeks after Harry left, she finally came to terms with the fact that Harry was now gone and let her dream of marrying him die. Once she did this, she began dating Dean Thomas seriously and opened her heart to him. It has been two years since she saw him after he fled to France but her heart still wanted him. She just hoped that he felt the same way after all this time apart.

Hermione's mind was racing faster than ever. She had seen Harry and he was alive and looked…incredible. The man she saw carried himself with the confidence of a warrior and looked more at ease than she had ever seen. Her thoughts turned towards reconciliation. With the war over, she would be able to move in public once again a hopefully seek out her long lost friend. It was this point, she remembered the words Amelia said right before she flooed out and was torn between helping the magical world put itself back together or being selfish and trying to put her own shattered world back in one piece.

She knew it was too late when she realized how foolish she was in her treatment of Harry that summer and first term of their sixth year. In the moment that she knew Harry was gone, her heart broke and it was then that she heard what it was trying to tell her all along. It always was and would be Harry that her heart yearned for and she was just fooling herself at the time to thing anything else. Ever since that point, she never accepted any date invitations or even spared a look at another boy as she remained true to the one she loved above all others. A tear leaked out of her eye as she thought about her isolation. Even after he left, she was continued to act like an idiot since Harry would have long forgotten about her and moved on with his life. The man she saw tonight couldn't have gotten to that point without someone behind him giving him the support he needs. More tears fell as she hadn't heard from him in years and more than likely, he didn't have any feelings for her at all anymore.

Despite these thoughts, Hermione knew there was something she had to do if she was to ever get on with her life. It was then that she came to a decision that it was time to leave the magical world for as long as it took to find Harry and get on her knees in front of him and beg for forgiveness. It was something she longed for ever since that night in November and even if they were never friends again, she had to at least apologize to his face and get the closure she needed.

She finally drifted off into a restless sleep that saw her waking up every hour. At five in the morning, she gave up the night as a lost cause and slipped out of bed. She took another shower as she felt she would never be clean after all they had been through and tried to make herself presentable. Once she was ready, a quick wave of her wand saw all her things flying to her trunk and as it packed itself. Another flick of her wand saw the books she was using for research begin to hover in the air. They followed her as she made her way down the hall and stairs until she reached the library. She pointed her wand at the shelves and the books floated over and returned to their proper place.

Making her may back to her room; she took a look around to see if she forgot anything and then closed her trunk. Another flick of her wand saw the bed making itself and her jacket floating to her. After putting it on, she tapped her trunk to make it shrink down and then put it in her jacket pocket.

Hermione quietly made her way down the stairs and met Tonks as she was coming in. "Long night?"

Tonks gave her a tired smile. "Yeah, Madam Bones wasn't going to be satisfied until the entire building was checked top to bottom and secured. I'm only back for a shower and my uniform."

Hermione just nodded as Tonks looked at her.

"You're leaving aren't you?"

"Yeah I am. I thought about a lot of things last night and realized I have some things to fix for myself before I can help anyone else."

Tonks smiled. "It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain MI-5 agent would it?"

Hermione gave a shrug. "I made such a mess of things back then and now that I have the chance, I've got to make things right."

Tonks pulled her into a hug. "Good luck. He's not too high on magical society from what Madam Bones told me. He only did what he did last night out of duty to country."

"Yeah…I kinda guessed that when he didn't stick around but I've got to try."

"I'll tell the others but promise you'll keep in touch."

Hermione smiled. "Of course I will. You guys have been a big part of my life for quite a while now. I just won't walk away like…" Her demeanor changed and she swiped at her eyes as they watered.

Tonks nodded. "Harry did. Yeah well, I probably would have myself if I was in the position he was in."

"I know."

After one last hug, Tonks started up the stairs and Hermione to the door where she took a deep breath before stepping out. She quietly crossed the street to the little park before turning on her heel and vanishing. Her first stop was to the house she grew up in. She knew her parents were in hiding and weren't there anymore. She also knew that it was a very real possibility that Voldemort had his people destroy the house but it was the only place to get the clues to start tracking down her parents.

When she appeared, she let out a gasp when she saw that her childhood home was nothing more than a burnt out shell wrapped in police caution tape. She made her way around to the back where there was a hidden doorway to the basement. After casting a quick unlocking spell and then a levitation charm on the door, she slid down onto the floor. She smiled at the thought of her mother teasing her father about the way the house was built as it came in handy now. The house was built on a concrete slab with the basement hidden underneath and had often been referred to as the bunker by her mother. After lighting the tip of her wand with a 'lumos' she began to go deeper inside the darkness.

It was obvious that the basement was cleaned out when her parents left. If there was one thing she knew about her daddy it was that he would never leave his toys behind. It was an added benefit for being a member of MI-5 in the years before she was born. She stepped up to a concrete wall noticing the small symbol on it. She leaned against the wall and began pushing. The heavy concrete door swung open on a hinge and she was thankful that it still worked despite the damage upstairs. Once inside, she stepped over to a safe built into another wall and placed her lit wand in her mouth. She then began spinning the tumbler as she dialed the combination. She dialed the numbers…the day her father was born, her mother, the day they were married, and the day Hermione was born all with three added to them of course.

She was rewarded with a click as she turned the handle and pulled the large door open. She grabbed small fire safe from the shelf and set it on the floor. Another combination this time with the same numbers minus seven and it was open revealing an envelope with her name on it. She took it out and placed it in her pocket as now wasn't the time to be looking at such things. At that point, she began reversing her actions starting with locking the safe and then closing and locking everything as she made her way out. By the time she was done, she saw the neighborhood start to come alive and turned on her heel and vanished before anyone saw movement on the property.

When she reappeared, it was in a park in a neighborhood in Little Whinging. The park had seen better days but she found a picnic table still mostly intact. Other than that, the neighborhood hadn't changed much since the last time she was there when she would come looking for Harry to see if maybe he returned to his relatives. She knew it was stupid at the time but she had to feel like she was doing something. She was extremely grateful to her father for his support even though he also knew it was a futile effort. She knew it was a desperate attempt but it was all she had at the time.

After sitting down, she tore open the envelope and dumped the contents out on the table to begin going through what her father had left for her. She found her dad's letter to her and had to laugh at the cloak and dagger routine but deep inside, she knew that it had served their family well and kept them alive. She only knew the Death Eaters hadn't gotten them because Tom would have bragged about it yesterday if they had. She was also happy that the games her father played with her when she was younger were actually his way of teaching her how to decode the message. She picked up the two sets of cards lying there and saw an ID and debit card with her real name on it along with another set containing a false identity. She slipped them in her pocket along with a set of keys and then began to read the letter. Once she finished the decoding and reading, she smiled at her father's words. She stood and moved over to a hidden area of the park where Harry told her that Dudley and his gang used to smoke weed. When she was sure no one was watching her, she turned on her heel and vanished once again. Her next destination was her maternal grandmother's house and either her parents or the next clue.

**HP**

As Hermione was tracking down her parents, the Order was once again gathered in Grimmauld Place holding a meeting. The topic was the recent events and what they should do now. They were also faced with the daunting task of trying to rebuild their lives and world. It was decided by Molly that the magical world needed a symbol of hope once again and suggested they start searching for Harry Potter once again now that he had been seen. In her eyes, it was his duty to come back and help them rebuild and the fact that he had plenty of money wouldn't hurt either. Tonks sat there in shock at what was being said and began shooting holes in every idea they came up with. She finally grew disgusted and relayed everything she learned about Harry from Madam Bones in the last twenty-four hours.

Molly couldn't comprehend that Harry may not want to come back to them. "But why? We are his family."

Ron snorted. "Sorry mum but you're wrong. Some of us may be family to him but he would never consider most of the people who kept him locked up with his relatives and tried to control his life as any family he would want to be around."

She huffed. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't you? You and dad, Dumbledore, the professors, the Order, and even the friends of his parents. You all knew what he was going through in that house…I know because we told you…and not one of you lifted a finger to help him. In fact, you forced the issue by keeping him prisoner there. It took a while but I can see the whole thing now. If he had stayed, you lot would have planned out his whole life and made him miserable…so even though I don't have my best mate anymore…I'm happy he got away from you people and I'm glad he's happy now."

Arthur said "You don't know that he is happy."

George snorted. "Oh he's happy alright. I haven't seen that particular smile on his face since his first year. Besides, it's a moot point anyway because who of us could find him in the muggle world?"

Fred chuckled. "Hermione could…but then…oh wait…she's already doing that but I don't think it is to bring him back and if he gives her the chance…we'll probably lose the most brilliant witch of her age as well."

Minerva asked. "Why would she leave?"

Ginny sighed. "Wouldn't you for the chance to be with the love of your life and maybe get a little peace for the first time in forever?"

George laughed. "Did you say peace or piece?"

Fred grinned. "Does it matter?"

Ron laughed. "No…not really."

Lavender squeezed Ron's hand and smiled. "Well I hope she gets what she's looking for."

Ron smiled but internally he hoped she never found Harry as he was sure that things would definitely not go the way she thought they would. It wasn't lost on Ron that he was the only one who Harry responded to in the atrium.

**HP**

Hermione stood outside the door of her grandmother's house and knocked. When the door finally opened, she found herself engulfed in a hug by her father as he lifted her off the ground and yelled for his wife.

Once he put her down, he asked "Are you returning to the real world?"

She rolled her eyes at the old joke between them about the magical world being fantasy land until it turned into horror land. "I'm back for now. I may stay here from now on but…it depends on what I find."

His eyebrows rose. "What are you looking for?"

She smiled. "Not what but who daddy."

Michelle came in and gave her a tight hug before leading her to the family room which headed off his comment about not starting all this again. She said "I don't see your trunk. Is this just a visit?"

She smiled and reached into her pocket and pulled out the miniature version. Jake asked "Do you need help carrying that to your room?"

She laughed at the joke and the joy of being with her parents once again. "No daddy, I think I can manage."

Michelle was staring at her daughter for a minute. "So why are you here? What changed?"

Hermione gave them a small smile and Michelle had a pretty good idea what that meant. "Well for one, the war is over for the most part."

Michelle's eyes narrowed. They may have been separated for the last few years but she could still read her daughter like a book. "You've found him haven't you? I haven't seen you this light since that night."

Jake shook his head. "What? You've found Harry?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I've not found him as such but I've seen him and know where to start looking now."

She reached into her purse and started pulling out a long cloak. She unfolded it and turned it until the unit patch was showing and placed it in front of her father.

He eyed the patch in front of him and didn't give any reaction but to quirk his eyebrow. "I've heard of them."

Michelle grabbed the cloak and studied the patch for a minute. Her eyes then locked on Jake's and asked "Hellhounds?"

He nodded. "Look's like it."

Hermione grinned. "Well good then. Since you know about them, you can help me get in touch with them. Harry showed up in the Ministry wearing those robes. He took down Tom and his top three lieutenants while his team took out the rest of the Death Eaters. So…what do you know about them?"

Jake sighed. "I've only heard rumors. There was something about a new black ops team that reports to MI-5. All I've heard was that they were made up of former SAS operatives as well as some 'special' ones. I'm going to assume that if Harry was wearing that patch then he is one of the 'special' ones. From what I know, they've got some of the best in the business on that team and it was designed solely for internal ant-terrorist action."

She got up and hugged him. "Thanks Daddy, that's more than I knew two days ago. Will you help me get in touch with them?"

He nodded. "I'll contact a few old friends tomorrow. I can't promise anything so don't get your hopes up. I might get blocked at every turn so write a letter and if I can slip it to someone who can pass it along…I'll do that."

With all that out of the way, they got comfortable and caught up from the last two years of absence. At dinner time, they moved to the kitchen and just kept on going. A mere dinner was no reason to stop the briefings. By the time she went up to her room that night, her mind was already on what she would write to Harry. It was late when she looked up from the paper in front of her. Her wastebasket was already full from all the rejected attempts so far but nothing came close to what she wanted to say. She finally wrote a few words on a piece of paper. Once it was folded, she stuffed it in an envelope before reaching up and pulling the leather necklace from around her neck. She dropped the necklace in the envelope and sealed it up. She crept out of her room and went downstairs where she placed the envelope underneath Jake's keys. Exhausted from her emotions, she climbed the stairs once more and then went to bed.

**HP**

The next morning, Jake Granger stepped into an office building he hadn't been in for many years. He remembered the last time he walked down these halls was when he retired after ten years of working for MI-5 after being recruited when he came off the SAS teams due to a knee injury. As soon as he reached the reception desk, he gave his name and ID number and asked to speak to one of the directors. After waiting for thirty minutes, he was escorted to an office where he was greeted warmly by a former team member.

"Jake Granger…aren't you a sight for sore eyes? What's it been? Twenty years?"

Jake clasped the hand offered warmly. "At least Tim."

Tim motioned him to a seat. "So what brings you to my little corner of England? I'd heard rumors that you and Michelle closed your practice and then disappeared. I also heard something about your house being torched. Surely you do not want back in after all this time?"

Jake chuckled. "No...You know that's a young man's game and we're just too old for that. I stay in shape but those days are far behind me. No…my daughter was friends with a boy that brought her and us under too much attention. We decided it was best to disappear for a while. In fact, that's why I'm here."

"Oh?"

Jake pulled out the letter and laid it on the desk. Tim reached over and pulled it over and looked at the name.

"My daughter is an old friend of his and they didn't part on the best of terms because quite frankly…my daughter screwed up. She wants a chance to make things right between them."

Tim leaned back in his chair but his eyes never left the envelope. "You're asking a lot. I know his story and I'm not so sure this would be welcome right now. Your daughter played her part in that as well."

Jake lowered his head. "I understand that…I really do…but hell Tim…this is my baby. She's been in love with him since she was twelve. His leaving almost killed her…she saw him the other night…all she wants is a chance to talk to him…to apologize for her stupidity."

Tim's gaze stayed on his old friend. "Those people really did a number on him and they're lucky the kid stopped those terrorists. He was close to just leaving the country and disobeying a direct order rather than confront them again. According to the reports I've read, I'm not so sure that the 'good' guys were any better than the bad ones with all they put him through. I mean, who tells a fifteen year old kid that the fate if the world is entirely on his shoulders. Hell Jake…we've been in the thick of it before…you remember what that was like? And to make a kid think it's his responsibility and then try to take out all his support…I mean damn it. I wanted to go down there myself with an Uzi and just start getting rid of those assholes."

Jake just sat there quietly.

Tim was standing now and continuing his rant. "I mean…how does a sixteen year old kid find us anyway? He came to us asking us to train him to fight because he wouldn't stand a chance without our help. We thought the kid was psycho when he told us his story. We had him in a shrink's office everyday for a month until he was released to us. At that point we started training him. Damn Jake…that sixteen year old was smoking our best even without his special talents. He tried harder than anyone else and took whatever the instructors threw at him. He didn't break once Jake. How the hell could a kid accept the hell we were putting him through without even blinking an eye?"

Jake's eyes never left the floor. "I didn't find out until after he was gone what had been done to him. If I had known, I'd have grabbed him at the train station and took him somewhere that they would never find but only after beating the hell out of his fat-assed uncle. When my daughter finally told us everything, it was too late and he was long gone. I listened as my daughter cried the entire Christmas break after he left for the part she played. She was scared…hell I don't blame her cause I was scared for her and there was nothing I could do to help this time… _Please_ , just give him the letter. She needs to tell him…that she loves him and she's sorry. Even if he doesn't accept it…at least she'll have closure and be able to move on one day."

Tim plopped down in his chair and stared at Jake for a few minutes. "If it was anyone else Jake, I'd send them packing. But for you I'll do it. You pulled my ass out of the fire in the Falklands and I still owe you for that. I'll give him the letter but it's up to him whether he acts on it or not."

Jake breathed out in relief, "Thanks Tim, it'll mean a lot to her."

After a minute of silence, Tim asked "So…your daughter is one of them?"

Jake chuckled. "Yeah…I still think she gets it from her mother. You remember that night we both showed up stinking drunk?"

Tim shuddered. "Bet you never made that mistake again."

Jake laughed. "Oh no…she was better with a knife than the commander. Still is."

Tim was lost in thought for a minute. "So your daughter…is she any good?"

Jake proudly said. "She was by Harry's side until he left except for that last term. I'm sure you've done a lot with him but she's got the reflexes."

Tim chuckled. "I would guess so…look who her father is."

Jake then added. "And the brains of her mother."

Tim shuddered. "That _is_ a scary combination. What is her status on a normal education?"

"She's done unless she wants to go to a university. What's got you so interested?"

"I'm forming a new team made up of people with their 'special' abilities. I've slated Agent Potter to lead it."

Jake's eyebrows rose. "How many do you already have?"

"Six…with a few we are in the process of assessing. I was hoping to create a seven person team much like their Unspeakables use. They would be a counter magic squad designated to handle things like the one that was just eliminated before they became a problem but under the control of _our_ government. I would also use them in situations where they can use their abilities to get in and out of places without anyone ever knowing. Her Majesty and the Prime Minister have seen the error of allowing the _other_ government to handle things in their own way ever again. Harry coming to us gave us options we never had before."

"I'm sure they won't like it. They are an arrogant lot."

"Yeah…Harry says the same thing. Well…the new Minister was made aware that we were forming our own teams to deal with such problems in the future. At least she wasn't as arrogant as the past leaders and thought the idea had merit."

Jake smiled. "Well, I guess you could talk to Hermione. From what I know…they worked well together and were very in tune with each other at one point. If you can get them past their problems, you'd have a formidable team just with the two of them."

"You'd like this to happen wouldn't you?"

"I want my baby to be happy."

Tim sighed. "What if he's seeing someone?"

Jake winced. "She knows she was at fault and she realizes that he has probably moved on. I think if they were to clear the air, she would get past it. So is he?"

"Yes, for the last two years. They moved in together last year."

"You know an awful lot about him."

"Of course I do. He made quite an impression on me from the start and well…he needed an adult male that he could talk to. We came to trust one another and have become friends if nothing else. I liked him so much that I introduced him to my niece."

"Is she?"

Tim chuckled. "Oh no…she's as normal as you and I. Well, you know what I mean. They couldn't be happier and Harry even said that he would never date a witch as long as he lived."

"Why?"

"He said that magic must fry their brains because he's never met one that wasn't bat-shit crazy."

Jake shook his head. "They can be a little obsessed when it comes to him."

Jake stood up and stuck out his hand. "Thanks for seeing me and sending that on. Tell him…hell...I don't know what to tell him. I guess the most important is a thank you for saving my daughter so many times."

Tim smiled at him. "I'll pass it along."

**HP**

When Jake got home, he was met at the door by Hermione. "Did you have any luck?"

"A little. I ran into an old friend and we talked. He promised to pass the letter along."

"Thank you Daddy."

"There are some things you need to know."

He led her into the family room where Michelle joined them. "So what's up?"

He took a deep breath before he started. "I'm sorry baby but…well…Harry's been dating someone for the last two years and they moved in together last year. It's pretty serious."

Tears formed in her eyes but she held them back. "It's okay Daddy. I actually expected it. Harry is too good of a man to not have someone. I know this is my fault and will just have to settle for being able to apologize to him."

"For what it's worth…I'm sorry."

She swiped at her eyes with her sleeve to get rid of the wetness that had formed. "Thanks but it was my mistake and I'll have to learn to live with it."

Michelle walked over and pulled her into a hug.

**HP**

That evening, Tim hesitantly knocked on Harry and Becca's apartment door. As soon as she answered the door, she pulled him into a hug. "I was just about to call you. Come in…you can eat with us. Harry made lasagna tonight."

Tim watched as Becca practically bounced back into the kitchen. His niece was usually a very happy person but now she was beaming. He thought the couple managed to balance each other out since Harry was always so serious. When he got into the kitchen, he saw that Harry was unusually happy as well especially considering what he did two nights ago.

Harry asked. "Hey Tim…what's up?"

"Can't a guy stop by and see his favorite niece?"

Harry chuckled. "You know you're always welcome here. Besides, I thought she was your only niece."

Tim laughed and sat down. "Got a beer?"

"Sure." He reached in the fridge and took two out and handed one to Tim as he opened one for himself.

Becca walked by and placed her hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad you're here. We had something to tell you."

"Oh really? What?"

Harry grinned. "Well, I asked Becca to marry me and for some reason she said yes."

Tim's stomach rumbled. "Congratulations! I'm happy for you both."

Becca said "Oh that was only half our news. It seems that we're going to have a baby."

"That's…that's great!" Tim forced out as his stomach clinched once more.

They both caught the strange look on his face as he said it and moved to sit at the table with him. Harry asked. "What's wrong?"

"Well, the other Ministry has been making inquiries about assigning you to them."

Harry heatedly said. "I thought Madam Bones understood the situation."

"She does and when I contacted her…she promised to look into it but she was pretty busy at the moment. It seems as if her Undersecretary was the one doing it because of pressure from his wife and the Order."

"Arthur?"

"Yeah…I think that's what his name was. We shut him down pretty quick today so don't worry about that."

Harry nodded. "We expected some fallout from my appearance but my deal was that I wouldn't have to deal with those idiots very often if ever. I'll resign before I take any such assignment."

Tim held up his hands in surrender. "I know…don't worry."

"Okay…now what is the real reason?"

"I almost hate to tell you this after what you just told me."

Becca softly said "Come on Uncle Tim…just spill it."

He sighed. "I had a visitor today from an old friend who I owe from a long time ago."

Harry tensed. "Hermione's dad?"

"Yeah…he gave me a letter. She wants to meet with you…apologize for what she did." Tim then slid the letter across to Harry who left it lying there.

Harry rubbed his hand across his face. "I'll think about it."

"That's what I told Jake. We talked for a while and well…he didn't know about your situation at home at the time. He said if he had…he would have grabbed you and taken you away himself."

Harry snorted. "Yeah…story of my life back then. No one wanted to see what was right in front of them. How many times did they pick up their daughter at the same time my uncle got me? Surely they had to see the way I was dressed compared to them. If not that, then how come my uncle and cousin were fat as hogs while I barely had skin on my bones? No…the lot of them only saw what they wanted to see back then. Little Harry Potter was going to save them because they weren't arsed to do it for themselves or too worried about anyone but themselves."

Harry shoved the letter back across. "Tell them not to bother. I found what I was looking for right here with Becca and there's no way I will let her be dragged into that shit. If they start bothering me, I promise you I'll take out the lot of them to protect Becca."

Tim held up his hands. "I know Harry and I agree with you. I just thought…well…she'd make a good team member."

"NO"

"Okay Harry"

"Listen Tim…you know how much I respect you but even as much as we've talked…you still don't know everything. I doubt anyone ever will as there are some things I'll take to my grave."

"Alright…you've made your point. I had to ask."

Harry wiped his hand over his face again. "Damn…you just had to bring this crap here tonight didn't you?"

Becca moved over to him and took his hand. "It's okay baby. Nothing is going to ruin our happiness."

He pulled her into a hug and then kissed her. He placed his forehead against hers. "You're right. I'm sorry to you both. Tim you didn't deserve that since all you've ever done is tried to help."

Tim waved him off. "Its okay Harry…I understand."

Harry thought for a minute. "You know…she is pretty smart and was pretty good when we were in school. She would make a good member of one of your teams…just not mine. I don't think she would ever get to the point where I would trust her to watch my back again."

"Sounds like a plan. Jake told me to tell you thank you for all you did for his daughter. He is well aware of her mistakes as she is and understands if you don't want to have anything to do with them. He only made the request so that she would move past this. Now…can we get off this subject and go back to the better ones? Where and when do you want to get married?"

**HP**

The next day, there was a knock at the Granger's door. When Jake answered, he saw Tim standing there.

"How'd you find us?"

Tim snorted. "I do have resources you know."

"I take it this isn't a social call."

"Oh it is…just maybe not a pleasant one."

"I take it the talk didn't go well."

"Not exactly. It might have gone better if I had picked a different night to talk to him. I showed up just as they were about to call me."

"Something wrong?"

"Not at all from my standpoint. Harry asked Becca to marry him last night. They decided it was time since she is carrying his baby."

"That's…well…damn…I'm at a loss but I am happy for him. Relay my best wishes to them both."

"I'll do it. Um…he kinda said that he wouldn't be able to trust her now so he didn't want her on his team but did recommend her for another in the future."

Jake nodded. "I can respect that. You have to trust the members of your team. Our lives depended on it."

Tim stood there in silence for a minute. "If it makes any difference, he doesn't want contact with anyone from that world anymore."

"I can understand that too."

"For what it's worth…I'm sorry Jake. He just isn't ready to face them again. After everything they did to him, I don't know if he ever will be despite them using official channels to try and get him back."

Jake nodded. "Wouldn't you feel the same way?"

Tim laughed. "Um yeah…I guess _they_ should be happy he isn't hunting them down. All he wants is to be able to live his life with Becca without their interference. His words were that if they messed with Becca…he'd burn their whole world down."

"Understandable. Please give them my best."

"I'll do it. Keep in touch Jake. It was good seeing you again."

"Same here. If anything changes…just let me know."

Tim nodded and walked away from the door and back to his car. As Jake watched Tim drive away, he said "You heard?"

Michelle answered. "Every word. I was afraid this would happen. I guess it's the best we can hope for that he is happy now and not some lunatic hell bent on revenge for all that world cost him."

Jake asked. "The magical world isn't known for being logical. What happens when they push him?"

Another voice spoke behind them. "If they hurt Becca or the baby…it will be the end of the magical world as I know it. Harry won't stop until the whole thing is lying in ruins which wouldn't be that far from where it is already."

Jake handed Hermione the envelope. "I guess you know he said no."

She sniffed. "Yeah…It's my own fault and I'll have to live with it. At least I know there's no chance now."

Michelle asked "What are you going to do now?"

Hermione sighed. "I guess I'll have to go back and save them from themselves. They won't leave him alone and like I said…he'll burn it all to the ground if they hurt his family." A tear ran down her face as she thought that at one point…she was once considered his family.

**HP**

Later that afternoon, Hermione Granger stormed into the Ministry of Magic. She didn't even bother with the checkpoint and marched straight to the elevators which would take her to the executive level. With what they had put Harry through, she felt it was a small way she could pay him back for all he had done for her personally and the magical world.

On her arrival on the executive floor, she was quickly informed that the senior members of the staff were in conference. She only replied 'Perfect' as she burst through the door and stared the entire room into silence for about a minute.

Minister Bones finally asked "Is there something we can do for you Miss Granger?"

"As a matter of fact there is. We all owe Harry Potter life debts many times over. I ask…no…I demand that he be left alone. Whoever is putting pressure on the muggle government needs to stop immediately."

"I was about to address that issue but may I ask why you decided to burst in here to bring it our attention?"

The slight rebuke would have normally caused Hermione to blush in embarrassment but not anymore and she continued on. "We owe Harry so much and well…the fact is that he has moved on with his life and wants no part of the Wizarding world."

Arthur asked. "You have been in contact with Harry?"

"No…at my request, my father got in touch with his superiors in order to pass a letter to him. The request was met with opposition and an outright refusal. Harry has since found what he has searched for since his parents died and wishes no contact with our world whatsoever."

Arthur nodded. "He has a family now."

"Yes he does."

Arthur's eyes gleamed as Minister Bones watched. "Oh that's wonderful…we can use that."

Hermione growled. "Mr. Weasley…if anything were to happen to his family due to the magical world…Harry would react pretty badly."

Amelia asked. "I agreed to his demands in return for his eliminating the threat of Voldemort but for curiosity sake…how badly would he react?"

"If this world were to take away what Harry cherishes most…there would be nothing to hold him back from completely wiping out the magical world. If you thought Tom was bad…"

Percy sniffed imperiously. "He's only one man. He's no match for the might of the Ministry."

Hermione laughed. "And where was your mighty Ministry when Tom Riddle stood against it and took it over? No…if you screw with Harry Potter at this point…expect to reap what you sow. He has no love for this world and would happily see it destroyed if it would make it safer for his family."

Amelia cleared her throat. "Thank you Miss Granger. I already made an agreement to leave him alone in return for his help. Violating this agreement is not up for discussion and will be considered an act of mutiny against the Ministry no matter who you are or your intentions. So…with that said…I order all members of the Ministry _and_ their families to cease all activities and attempts at bringing Harry Potter back to the magical world."

There were several protests until Amelia held up her hand. "This is not open to discussion and if I hear any more on the matter, I will resort to magical oaths to insure compliance."

Hermione thanked Amelia before leaving the room and making her way back to her parents' house. It was the last time most members of the magical community would ever see her as she followed Harry into the non-magical world to make a life for herself.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nope…still don't own it.

AN: Okay…I heard you all and here is something to wrap it up a little more than I did. I hope you enjoy! If not…then maybe it should have stood as it did. LOL

Chapter 3

Within a year, word got out that Harry Potter was alive and well and living amongst the muggles. Just like in the past, any information was available for the right price. Once some of the darker families heard this, they contacted some of the seedier elements of muggle society that they did business with and used them to track Harry and his family down.

It took a couple of years to find him as Harry and his family had moved onto one of the family properties. The one chosen was a small estate in Wales near Llanfyllin. It was small compared to some of the others with only three hundred acres of woods and pastureland. They hadn't been brave enough to buy any livestock as Harry wasn't sure how the current animal residents would handle it. To his surprise, there were herds of hippogriffs and thestrals already living on the estate. Becca became enamored by the herds and was taught by Harry how to make friends with them after discovering she could see the thestrals due to her witnessing her father die when they were in a car wreck. Before a year was out, the Potter family could walk amongst the herds without worry and their son, Timothy Ronald Potter, toddled amongst the herds like they were part of his family.

It was their third year at the farm that things finally caught up to them. Harry very reluctantly left Becca who was in her seventh month of her second pregnancy along with two year old Timothy after being called on a mission against a group of magicals who had appeared stirring unrest in England once again. The mission was a joke from the start as the wizards they went up against were amateurs who could barely cast a spell. The interrogation afterwards caused warning bells to go off in Harry's head as they deduced that the attack was a diversion so that their leaders could go after the real target.

With his bad feeling still bothering him, Harry apparated back to his home which looked as if had been attacked to find Becca and Timothy gone. There was a note stuck to the door with a knife written in blood which said if he wanted to see his wife and son alive again, he would show up in front of Gringotts at 8pm the next night to be taken to where he could bargain for their lives. As he walked back outside, he saw the alpha male of the hippogriffs lying on the ground. He moved over to him and placed his hand against his neck to check for a pulse. When he didn't find one, he bowed his head beside his friend. "Thank you for trying to protect my family Zeus. I promise to do the same for yours."

He needed to think and not run off in a rage even though he knew that wouldn't go away until his wife and son were home safe. He drew his wand and levitated Zeus and began walking towards the woods. He was met by both herds as he gently laid the body down and cast another spell to dig a grave. Once it was big enough, he levitated Zeus into it and then began to back fill it with dirt. His final act was to conjure a Celtic warrior cross with Zeus written across it and place it at the head of the grave. He then walked over to Zeus' mate and wrapped his arms around her neck. As she lowered her head onto his shoulder, he said "I promise you Hera that his death will not go unpunished. But now I've got to go save Becca and Timmy." She stepped back from him and gave a short bow.

As he walked back across the field, he pulled out his cell phone and hit the number three on his speed dial. When it was answered, he heard. "Great job tonight Harry. What's up?"

In a cold voice, Harry replied. "It was a diversion. They've got Becca and Timmy."

There was a moment of pause on the other end. "What are you going to do?"

Harry chuckled darkly. "The good news is they think they are holding all the cards and that I have to play by their rules. The note said tomorrow night so I'm lighting up their trackers now. I warned those bastards to leave me alone. Now I guess I'll have to make sure they understand."

Tim replied. "I want in. You guys are all the family I have so what can I do to help?"

"Have everyone on standby. I'll signal if I need help and be there to help me clean up the mess. "

Tim understood the meaning behind that last statement as they both had tried to not expose their family to the true nature of their jobs and the people they dealt with. Tim knew that Harry wasn't afraid of anything except losing the one thing he cherished. His family.

"Okay"

Harry cut the call and then pulled out another device. He hit the button and waited for it to pick up the signal from the tracking devices that were implanted on the arm bones of his wife and son. Despite his warnings, Harry knew the wizarding world would never leave him alone and that Madam Bones' successor might be someone who would allow contact with him again. The trackers were EMP rated which research by his Q Branch determined would hold up against magic and was something he recommended for everyone on his team along with their families to use due to the nature of their chosen profession. When he had the coordinates, he gave a little smile when he saw where he was going. "I guess the ferret escaped me last time."

As soon as Harry made it to his house, he went down to the basement and waved his wand at a wall cancelling an illusion which revealed a vault door much like what you'd find in a bank. After opening the armory, Harry began kitting up for full battle mode. Just for kicks, he slid Godric's sword into its sheath on his back. It still amused him to this day that Dumbledore never did figure out where it had gone.

After locking back up and reapplying the illusion, he went up the stairs and stepped out into his yard. He stood there for a minute with his eyes closed before silvery smoke started swirling around him and he disappeared.

Minutes later, he reappeared in the foyer of Malfoy Manor and cast a disillusionment spell on himself. As soon as he passed through the foyer, he could hear his wife screaming and his son crying. The sounds were enough to cause his aura to flare as his rage increased. He ghosted through the house as he followed the screams until he came to a room guarded by the apes Crabbe and Goyle. They didn't even have time to react before the sword was out in the blink of an eye and their heads fell to the floor an instant later. With a push of his hand, the doors blew off their hinges and he stepped into the room and dropped his disillusionment charm. The shock on the faces of the twenty or so in the room was enough to let him get a good read on them. All were former schoolmates of his from mainly Slytherin but there were a few from the other houses as well. His eyes locked on his wife who was being held under the cruciatus curse by Draco as her arms were being held by Pansy and Millicent. He knew they must have been torturing her from the moment she got there as the pain curse had caused her to have a bloody discharge. The sight caused him to lose control over his anger and power and he began to glow with a dark red aura. His eyes next took in Timmy being held down by Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis. He saw the bruise on his son's crying face and the glow increased.

Several people turned to Draco. "Malfoy…you didn't say it was Potter's family we grabbed. Screw this…we don't want no part of this."

A rock barrier formed over the doorway, Harry growled out. "Too late!"

Harry magic pulsed again and he began to move. Draco didn't even manage to move before he was thrown across the room. It happened so quickly that it took him a minute to realize that he was stuck to the wall with the jeweled hilt of a sword protruding from his chest. Without using his wand, Pansy and Millicent were thrown away from Becca and hit the wall with such force that the sounds of bones shattering were heard upon their impact. They hung there for a second before they slid down the wall leaving a bloody trail and an impression in the wall. He then put a bullet between both their eyes for good measure. His eyes next locked on Daphne and Tracey who released Timmy and started backing away. They didn't make it two steps before Harry moved in a blur once again and there were knives sticking out the back of their throats and they slumped to the ground making gurgling noises as their lungs filled with blood. They would maybe live long enough to see their friends die before their eyes and no way to stop them.

Harry could feel the curses hitting his back but he was too far in the fight now to care. One of the spells managed to hit his transponder and turn it on. Theo fell next with a shot though his eye. Cormac was next when Harry moved over to him and lifted him off the ground with a kick. He snapped the tall man's neck a moment later. He heard the sound of more people coming towards the room but continued on in his task. The other thirteen fell pretty quickly until all that was left was Draco impaled on the sword.

His attention was finally fully on Draco. "You had no reason to go after my wife and son. They were innocent of all this."

He kept staring at Draco who was turning pale from the blood loss and seeing all his _powerful_ friends lying on the floor dead. "Let's see…you married Astoria did you not? I don't see her here. Ahh…I bet she's taking care of your son isn't she? It's too bad the Malfoy line ends tonight."

Draco's eyes turned desperate. "Ah….Dumbledore never showed you there were consequences for your actions but I damn sure will. By the way…I guess congratulations are in order."

Draco looked at him confused but still unable to speak.

"Yes… _Lord_ Malfoy…you're going to be famous…probably more so than I was once upon a time. You see…you're going to be known as the _man_ who destroyed magical England. Three years ago…they were told that to pull me back into this world would be the worst thing that could ever happen. I'm going to destroy it all. The Ministry. Hogwarts. Hogsmeade. Diagon Alley. Knockturn. The only thing I'll leave standing is St. Mungos. Before you even think it…I'm not dark…no I see you uneducated and bigoted magicals as a threat to England and am fully within my rights to eliminate any threats to my country."

Harry stared into his eyes and saw the question there.

"No Draco…you'll not die here. I'll keep you alive long enough to drag you into the next Wizenheimer meeting and execute you there after I announce your crimes and then start tearing everything else down. It'll be great. You'll finally have the recognition you've wanted all these years."

Harry left Draco and walked over to his son and picked him up. "Its okay Timmy…Daddy's got you."

"Mummy's hurt!"

He softly said. "I know baby. We're going to get her some help. Just hold on to me"

The little boy held onto Harry and then said. "Daddy hurt!"

"Daddy will be fine. Let's take care of Mummy."

Becca was unconscious when they got to her and he cast every healing charm he knew to stabilize her. He looked at the blood stain on her dress and a tear dropped from his eye. He shifted his son to his back after waving his wand over it sealing up the cuts from the curses and cleaning himself up. He then leaned over to pick up his wife placing a tender kiss on her still trembling lips. About the time he was going to disappear, he heard a familiar voice over his comm. "Commander Potter…we are outside the room waiting to assist you."

He waved his hand and the rock doorway disappeared. As soon as it was gone, his unit erupted through the door followed by Tim. As soon as they entered, they were all shocked at the carnage.

"Commander…Are you alright?"

"I'm fine but Becca and Timmy need some help. I was just about to take them to our infirmary."

Tim stepped forward and held out his arms to Timmy who immediately went to him. "I'll go with you."

Harry's second in command stepped forward. "What are your orders Sir?"

"Search the house. Bring anyone you find into this room and secure it."

"Yes Sir. The bodies?"

"Leave them for now. I want them to truly see the horror their path causes."

Another agent came running in. "Sir, we found a woman and small child upstairs as we swept the house."

Harry smiled and pointed at Draco. "Good, bring them here to be with him in his final hours and do not touch that sword."

"Yes Sir"

Tim grabbed Harry's arm as they disappeared. When they arrived at the MI-5 infirmary, they were met by a crash team. After Harry explained the extent of the injuries, Becca was taken back to an ER to be treated. Within minutes, one of the nurses came running out. "The baby is still alive. There may be a way to save it."

Harry was closing himself off and Tim said "Do what you have to do!"

"Yes Sir"

It was only a few minutes before they heard running down the hall. When the doctor approached, Harry stood up and she came to a sudden halt. "Miss Granger"

Hermione did the only thing she could. She knelt at his feet. "I promised myself the next time I saw you that I would get on my knees and beg you to forgive me but now I ask that you trust me enough to save your wife and baby. I vow to do everything in my power to save them both!" There was a flash of magic at the end and despite his reluctance, he gave a small nod.

She was on her feet in an instant and running in the door. Tim put a hand on his shoulder. "She's really the best we've got Harry and that's saying something. After she threatened the Ministry to leave you alone, she went to America and studied medicine and healing. You know how driven she is so I think our family has a pretty good chance here."

"I hope you're right."

**HP**

The next morning, Harry was sleeping in the chair outside Becca's room with Timmy asleep in his arms. He was roused when someone sat next to him.

"Dr. Granger. How is Becca?"

"It's actually Dr. Williams now and your wife and child are doing fine."

"Thank you"

"You're welcome Harry…it's the least I could do after everything. For what it's worth…I'm so sorry Harry."

"I think after last night…all is forgiven but how? You haven't had enough time to be a doctor already."

She gave him a smirk. "America is a little bit more relaxed about some things. Think third year and you'll be close."

His eyebrows rose. "How'd you pull that off?"

"I think Tim had a lot to do with it plus with me being my father's daughter, they felt I wasn't a security risk. I have a tendency to be a little bit driven when there's something I want. Well except for one time."

Harry snorted as Hermione looked at Timothy. She placed her hand against his cheek and a light blue glow showed where she touched him. When she pulled her hand away, the bruise disappeared. "He looks just like you."

"Thanks. I hope all this doesn't affect him too badly."

"He's got you for a father. I'm sure he's just as resilient."

He quietly asked. "Do me a favor?"

She whispered. "Anything!"

"Hide the memory from them both. That's not something they need to live with."

"Are you sure? Obliviate?"

He sighed. "No. Hide it away and protect it so that I can remove the block one day if I need to. I don't like it but it would be best. No one needs to remember the cruciatus and Timmy is too young to have seen all that. "

She reached out and squeezed his hand. "You're the expert on that so I'll do as you wish. Is there another reason?"

Harry shifted a little. "Yeah…they don't need to know what I really do and I don't really want them exposed to that world."

She looked at him for a minute. "And losing your family again is not an option. It took me a while but I figured it out…I was your family at one point."

He nodded. "Thanks"

That was about the time Tim walked back up. "How are the patients?"

Hermione turned and smiled. "Mother and baby are resting. We were able to stabilize both and reverse a lot of the damage."

"How is that possible?"

Hermione shrugged her shoulders and then grinned after looking at Harry. "Magic?"

Harry snorted and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thank Mione. I really mean it."

She shrugged. "I owed you. Now…from the way Tim is dressed, you have some unfinished business?"

Harry took a deep breath. "Slightly. It's time I made good on an old promise."

She looked at him for a minute and then nodded her head. There was really nothing she could say and like him, there was nothing there to hold her to that world anymore. She grabbed his hand. "At least spare Ron."

Harry laughed. "Be kinda hard to get rid of Timmy's godfather even if he doesn't really know that's what he is."

**HP**

The doors to the Wizengamot chamber slammed open as Harry walked in levitating Draco behind him. Behind Draco was his entire team supported by another three MI-5 teams. The whole room was in shock as the teams took up positions around the room.

Amelia Bones stood. "Agent Potter, what is meaning of this interruption?"

Harry's eyes locked on hers. "I go by Commander Potter now Madam Minister. As for why I'm here, well this piece of shit violated your agreement. Only a very select few knew anything about me yet I come home from a mission and find my home attacked magically and my wife and son kidnapped."

Amelia paled. "It seems that a group of your _leading_ citizens decided to get revenge on me for eliminating their master by torturing my wife under the cruciatus curse and physically harming my son who is the heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter as well as Peverell, Gryffindor, and Black according to Gringotts. I may choose not to sit amongst you but I am well aware that I have seats here if I wanted to have anything to do with your backward assed society. By the old ways and by proclamation by Queen Elizabeth and the Prime Minister, I have the right to eliminate any threats to my family and Her Majesty's realm by any means I see necessary. In following my directive, I found my wife's captors and eliminated the threat. _Lord_ Malfoy was caught in the act of torturing my wife. All of his conspirators have been eliminated and by my right as Lord Potter in dealing with a threat to my house, I ended the Malfoy family except for the Ferret here."

The room went ballistic. "You can't do that!" was shouted all over the room.

Harry coldly said "I can and did. Now as my right which you have fought so hard to maintain, I will finish the job." He grabbed the sword which was still impaled in Draco and turned it. Draco screamed in pain as Harry pulled out the sword then decapitated him in the middle of the chamber."

He turned back to Madam Bones. "I want to know who sold me out to the mini Death Eaters. We had an agreement and it was your job to ensure your government and society complied with it. I hold you personally responsible and if I don't have the names by the end of the week, I will pull this building down on top of the lot of you and begin to systematically destroy every bit of the magical world in England. I'm only giving you that long because my wife didn't lose our baby during the torture. If our baby had been lost I wouldn't even have given you a warning."

Someone yelled out. "You don't have the authority to judge _us_!"

Harry smiled. "Ernie MacMillan…you are just as stupid now as you were back in school. I'm surprised you weren't with Malfoy last night participating in the festivities. The fact is, my orders come from the Queen and Prime Minister and _I_ have permission to tear it all down if the magical world starts going dark once again. At the moment, all I see is the darkness and will gladly inform them of this. As they are the highest authority in Great Britain superseding even the _mighty_ body of the Wizengoobers, I'll continue to take my orders from them and act according to my directives."

Amelia stood again before Harry was provoked into doing as he said. "Commander Potter. I truly apologize for this mess and take full responsibility for the actions against you by members of my government. I will get to the bottom of it if I have to use truth serum on the whole ministry. "

Harry nodded. "I'll look forward to your report."

A week later, a public execution was held in Diagon Alley as the 'supporters' of the new Death Eaters were brought before Harry. Six purebloods died that day. Included in that group were Percy Weasley, Marietta Edgecombe, and Ernie MacMillan. The three others were names Harry didn't know and just assumed they were purebloods that followed the blood supremacy dogma. It would be a long time before anyone else even thought about acting in such a manner again as word quickly spread of the carnage at Malfoy Manor.

Amelia used the shock and lack of the darker families to push the wizarding world forward. It was known that they were now being watched and that as long as Commander Potter was alive, any stupidity from the wizarding world would be met head on and harshly. Most were smart enough to realize that they didn't stand a chance against a man who took down over twenty dark adult wizards by himself at one meeting.

Two months after the attack on Harry's house, Lily Jean Potter was born with Hermione leading the delivery. That would be the Potter's last child as the methods used to keep Lily and Becca alive would forever end her ability to carry another child. Harry only accepted it because Becca accepted it and was happy with two children and thought their family complete now.

**HH**

Amelia remained Minister for quite a few years and over time, it became an accepted idea in the magical world to leave Harry Potter and his family alone after their close brush with annihilation at the time when many of the last dark families were eliminated. Most of the magical world also took comfort knowing their savior was still watching after them and accepted things as they were.

Over the years, Harry and Hermione's family grew. While Harry and Becca only had Timmy and Lily, both were magical and were almost as strong magically as their father. Hermione and David had three children. Rose, Davey, and Harrison. Of her three, only Rose was magical and it didn't matter to the Williams or Potters one bit. When it was time for magical schooling to start, Timmy, Lily, and Rose were taught by Harry and Hermione while still attending regular school with the others. There was no way Harry would allow his children to be at the mercy of magical England and Hermione felt the same way.

Hermione also made a name for herself even though she never returned to the magical world. Her research led to many innovations in medicine and healing doing a lot to improve treatments in both worlds. It was her treatment methods that helped the Longbottoms regain their minds and begin to live once again. After accomplishing that, she turned her attention to cancer and spent the majority of her life trying to find a cure. Her research and exposure to the deadly disease cost her life when she was in her sixties. Her husband, David, lasted another twenty years before his body gave out.

Becca lived to see eighty years old and while Harry could possibly live another 40 years, his love for his wife left him devastated at her death. He lasted another year before he couldn't take his grief any more. A year to the day, Harry called Timmy and Lily to him at the family home. Both knelt in front of their father as he sat in his favorite chair. With his hands over their hearts, he shared his magical core and his love with his children. As the last of his magic left his body and his life force faded, he gave them both a smile and a kiss on the forehead for he knew they would use the power well.

Timmy had taken up his namesake and his father's place and followed them both into MI-5. He was now the main defender of the normal world from incursion by the magicals and like his father over the years, put down any dark wizards who tried to gain a foothold over their society. Lily on the other hand followed her Aunt Hermione into the medical field. Her goal in life was to continue her favorite Aunt's work with the help of her _cousin_ Rose.

It was Hermione's research that came up with the method of sharing cores and was something she kept secret from everyone except Harry. When she made the discovery, she went straight to him and they held many long discussions about it. In the end, it was he who convinced her to keep the method secret as there were still many in the magical world that would use the knowledge to figure out a way to subvert her method to make themselves more powerful. It was decided that upon their death, they would do so for their children but the knowledge would die with them.

As Harry crossed over, he was met by his wife and sister. They led him to a Great mansion where he was met by his parents and godfather and the man who had taken him under his wing so many years before. David handed him a beer as they sat down on a couch and began to catch up. All the while, a large screen TV was showing scenes of the lives of those they left behind. As they sat there, Becca leaned over and gave him a heated kiss. It was then he realized that their bodies had taken on their looks from their younger years. As her hand started playing in his hair, he could only smile as that meant he was gonna get lucky tonight. All was good.


End file.
